The two Brazilians returned to Italy after their 1-0 friendly defeat to France last night and are ready to dive back into the Serie A battle.

“Inter? We're on top of the table and focus only on ourselves,” said Pato. “Things are going very well with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and it's not true that there are problems between us. I just want to play and respect the Coach's decisions.”

Thiago Silva was even more bullish when asked about the Nerazzurri pushing back into the title race.

“Do Inter scare us? Fear does not exist,” smiled the defender. “It's true they are catching up, but we are still in front, must stay calm and continue along our path.

“It's a difficult moment for us, we drew quite a few games, but the team is still playing well. On Saturday we face a tough side like Parma, but I think we can play a great game and achieve the victory.”

Thiago Silva reveals he was impressed by teammate Mario Yepes, who filled in for the injured Alessandro Nesta.

“It's not easy at the age of 34 to deal with so many injuries, but he is trying to get back as soon as possible because he knows that the team needs him.

“When Nesta is absent, then we struggle a bit more, but Yepes is doing very well. In fact, when playing against him last season, I had no idea he had so much quality. He keeps everyone calm and has a great deal of experience.”